Farmers’ Grain Bounty, Crop Exports Buoy U.S. Railroads

Rail traffic is still recovering from years of steep declines in coal, oil shipments

Doug Cameron

A record fall harvest and surging crop exports are boosting U.S. railroad operators, who are still feeling pain from the collapse of coal and oil shipments.

Farmers across the Midwest—benefiting from good weather during much of the growing season—are expected to bring in about two billion more bushels of corn and soybeans than they did last year. Many rely on railcars to transport their crops from grain elevators to processing plants around the country, or to the coasts for export.